pollution
Colombia: Smelly wave of foam rolls through the streets
Masses of foam spread out. Photo: Sergio Acero/colprensa/dpa
© dpa-infocom GmbH
A huge load of dirty foam works its way through the streets of the Colombian city of Mosquera. Residents are worried. But where does the smelly spray come from?
Huge layers of foam from a polluted river have reached residential areas in the Colombian city of Mosquera, worrying residents.
The environmental authority of the Cundinamarca department, which includes the capital Bogotá and Mosquera, around 20 kilometers away, attributed the foam to large quantities of cleaning agents and other chemical substances in a statement. She urged households and industry to avoid excessive use of these agents and substances.
The wind partially blew the polluted and stinking foam through the streets. The heavy rain caused the polluted water to move more and the foam was formed, said Edwin García, director of the environmental agency’s laboratory, according to the statement. April has been the rainy season in much of Colombia.
The phenomenon is not entirely new for the residents of Mosquera, as the city administration had pointed out. But the foam had never been seen in the area in these quantities, it said in a statement. City administration and environmental authorities have taken measures to mitigate the effects. The authority also pointed out that it built the Mosquera water treatment plant, which went into operation in 2020.